A Different Kind of Fairy Tale
by thisginger
Summary: "Everyone promises you happily ever after...but life turns into a different kind of fairy tale." Rachel thought her wedding day would be the most important day of her life. Turns out it is. But for much different reasons then she expected.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So the hiatus is almost over. And I've just watched Imagine Me & You for the first time. Well, it got me thinking. Almost all of the post 3x14 fics I've read include the wedding getting called off because Santana, Sue or Mr. Schue ends up getting a call about Quinn's crash. But what if Rachel did receive the "On My Way" text and no one got a call and the wedding took place as planned? What happens? And then my mind started weaving this whole IM&Y/Glee Faberry story that I want to explore. Here's the start.**

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><p>"So Hiram, how long have you guys been married then?"<p>

"30 years. If I'd killed him when I first thought about it, I'd be out by now. I could have been a free man."

"Dad, please! If daddy was in this car…"

"Exactly. He's not. He's with Burt and Finn probably telling them both the same thing. I'm just being honest with Carol, honey."

Rachel sighed and rolled her eyes. Her fathers, especially her Dad, had been doing this ever since she and Finn had announced their shotgun wedding. Well, she hated calling it a shotgun wedding. That had such negative connotations. The kind of negative connotations her dad was trying to create. And she'd have none of that. Not on her wedding day. This day would be perfect.

"…And I remember on the way to the church, I just wanted to shout 'Stop the car! This is a horrible mistake!' But it won't kill you. So the wheels just keep turning, leading you on to the longest sentence of your life. I'm sure it was the same for you, Carol?" he said with a wink that was a far cry from subtle.

"Huh? Oh yeah. Sure…"

"Stop the car!"

"What?"

"Oh thank God!"

"I just need to pee!" shouted Rachel with a smug grin on her face. "But stop somewhere nice. Nowhere like McDonald's. I refuse to pee there. There's a friendly vegan place I frequent right around the corner."

_Well_, she thought as she ran into the restaurant, _if my fathers_ _insist on keeping up this act through out the ceremony, I may as well have some fun with it. Anyway, I'm probably fairing better than Finn._

Her prediction was spot on. They arrived at the Lima County Courthouse only two minutes behind schedule—she could manage two minutes behind—and Finn was as white as a ghost, with hues of green mixed in.

"Rach, you look beautiful," he said nervously.

She took a step back.

_If he even thinks of puking my Audrey Hepburn style dress, I will call this wedding off faster then he can say glee...Wait, I'm his bride. I should be calming his nerves or something, I guess?_

"You ready to go in there?" She asked tentatively. Finally, there was that Finn Hudson smile she adored.

"Hold on, just a second. Just to remember this. Us."

_Oh yeah that's why I'm marrying him_, she thought happily as her phone buzzed.

"Oh it's Quinn. Sorry. 'Ran home to get my bridesmaids dress. Be there soon.'"

Rachel read the text allowed and felt a wave of relief wash over her. All these people continued to doubt her and Finn. Her fathers, Finn's parents, Kurt. And Quinn had been the biggest source of doubt amidst it all. But out of nowhere she suddenly decided to support Rachel. Maybe she was inspired by there regionals win? Rachel didn't know. But with Quinn's change of heart she realized she could care less about what everyone else thought. If Quinn supported her, if this girl who was _kinda _the closest thing she had to a best friend could support their marriage, then nothing else mattered.

Everything was coming together. Her bridesmaids were accounted for, with one on the way. Finn looked dashing. Her fathers had surprisingly kept their mouths shut. Heck, even Mr. Schue, Ms. Pillsbury and Coach Sylvester had shown up. People wanted to see them get married. They all wanted to see her happy. Now she just had to wait a few minutes.

"Hey San?"

"Britt I already told you, I don't know if the justice of the peace can marry Lord Tubbington to a duck. You'll have to ask after the wedding."

"No. It's not that. I have another question."

"Yeah?"

"What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object?"

They group of bridesmaids, plus Kurt, turned and looked at Brittany, bewildered.

"Fuck if I know, babe. I told you that reading physics to your cat isn't gonna make him get accepted to college."

"It's a trick question. It never happens. If there's a thing that can't be stopped, it's not possible for there to be something else which can't be moved, and vice versa. They both can't exist."

"Well damn, Hummel. Look at you proving that you actually have some knowledge beyond Judy Garland's favorite heels."

"Very funny Santana. But no, it's just something I remembered from being lab partners with Quinn."

Rachel's head jerked up to look at the clock. Seven minutes. Their wedding was set for five o'clock and she had only seven minutes left. She knew she should be thinking of her future with Finn. How happy they'd be in about twenty minutes. How they'd both go off to New York together and she'd take Broadway and he would always be her leading man. So why was "Chapel of Love" the only thing looping through her head on repeat?

_Terrible song. I'll never understand why The Beach Boys or Bette Midler even attempted to cover it._

And where was Quinn?

She picked up her phone and sent a quick "HURRY." If anything, she was probably pulling into the parking lot right now. Santana, though, seemed to have a different idea.

"Face it. Quinn's not coming."

Rachel's breath caught for a moment. Santana was Quinn's best friend—ex-best friend?—and she knew her better. Right?

_No. _

"She said she'd be here okay. I don't want to start with out her."

Santana glared at her with a knowing smirk.

Just then, Finn, the boys, Burt and Carol walked into the room.

"Rachel, we have to go right now or we're going to lose our slot."

She didn't need to look at the clock. She knew there was less then five minutes left.

"Can we please just wait a couple more minutes for Quinn? Please?"

"It's now or never."

It was worth at least one more shot. She needed Quinn there. Desperately. She didn't know why, but ever since she had managed to pull Quinn out of crazyland, a friendship had finally started to form between them. A friendship that was comfortable. She needed that comfort with her on her wedding day. That comfort was worth one more try. 'WHERE ARE YOU?' she quickly typed out. And then all eyes were on her. She turned back to Finn. He had turned ghost white again, as if he was waiting for her to utter 'never.' Her fathers were whispering behind him, no doubt conspiring some more.

And then her phone buzzed and that stupid loop of "Chapel of Love" came to an abrupt end and her mind echoed choruses of "Hallelujah" as she read Quinn's text.

_ON MY WAY_

"Alright, Rach come on. She's coming. She'll be here any sec. We gotta get in there. Even if Quinn misses the first bit, she'll get here. She's on her way."

Finn grabbed her hand and led her down the hall, the bridal party quickly following. This was it. This was her wedding—not her dream wedding exactly—but it was everything she could ask for at the moment. She was marrying the boy of her dreams. She was supported. She had friends and family surrounding her. Her best friend would walk in any second. She'd get the happily ever after she was promised.

"Ladies and gentleman, today we have gathered to celebrate the marriage of Rachel and Finn…"

The deep voice of the justice of the peace brought Rachel's inner monologue to a halt. She turned to grin at her soon to be husband. But just before she could meet his eyes, she thought she saw hazel gazing back at her through the courtroom window. Hazel eyes glossed with tears and pain, staring into her soul. She blinked, looked again, and those eyes were gone.

"Rachel, will you take Finn to be your lawful wedded husband?"


	2. Chapter 2

She blinked and it was over. Somewhere in the span of that one-second blink, she had muttered two words—'I do.'

Something was off. Something didn't feel right. When a girl gets married, she is supposed to hop into the backseat of a limo with her dapper husband. They are supposed to kiss and laugh the whole way to the reception. They are supposed to show up late to the reception because they can't get enough of each other. Rachel knew she had some crazy ideas about love and marriage fueled by her childhood fantasies, but she knew that being happy on her wedding day was not a fantasy.

Except it was a fantasy.

Because instead of smiling dreamily at one another, she and Finn were sitting in the backseat of Burt's '57 Chevy (it was the only thing they could get on their shotgun wedding budget.) And Burt was driving, so kissing Finn went out the window. But why couldn't she get herself to look at Finn and tell him how happy she was? How happy they would be? And why wouldn't Finn look lovingly back at her? Instead, it was just awkward silence the entire way to the reception—well if you considered finger sandwiches and light refreshments a reception.

Maybe all couples dealt with post-wedding awkwardness. Maybe it was just an inevitable factor. Every couple probably wondered, "Where do we go from here?" and suffered momentary awkwardness. That was it. That had to be it. Rachel wouldn't concern herself over nothing.

She figured that with the traffic, they would show up late to the reception anyway. Then she could put on her Broadway smile, muss up her hair a bit, and pretend that she and Finn had gotten busy in the back of Burt's car. She'd pretend to be the happiest girl in the world.

That would be easy, because parties she could do.

The traffic began to ease up and cars finally started to move ahead of them. She wasn't sure what had caused it—because there was never much traffic in rural Lima—but she saw flashing lights driving away in the distance. As Burt pulled through the intersection, it was clear there had been an accident.

The cars had been towed away already, but there was still debris and glass all over the road. Rachel hoped it was no one she knew, but felt reassured when she remembered that all of her friends were at her wedding and had decided to take the main highway to the reception because it was quicker.

But as Burt drove past she felt the slightest of tugs on her heart. She figured it was just more post-wedding awkwardness.

Finally, they reached the VFW hall for the reception. She put on her big smile, swallowed her nerves, and gave Finn a sloppy kiss that left him with a dopey smile, and the two walked through the doors hand-in-hand.

It wasn't the huge applause she pictured for her wedding day. Then again, she always pictured herself getting married at 25 after she won her first Tony and the reception would be at the Plaza. But that was her silly fantasy. She had her friends now.

Her fathers approached them both. Her Daddy had a very fake smile on his face and her Dad just glared at Finn.

"We're very happy for you both," said Leroy.

"Thanks Dads. Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get this party started," she grinned.

The first ten minutes of the reception were spent watching Mr. Schue and Santana argue over music choices. There was a very retro jukebox at the VFW hall that had Mr. Schue itching to play some tacky 80s power ballads. Santana, on the other hand, was insisting that the wedding, being a high school wedding, required high school music but settled by allowing Schue to play only one 80s song. He chose Dead or Alive's "You Spin Me Round." Rachel rolled her eyes and laughed, as she walked over to the punch bowl. She knew Santana would one day find her calling as a lawyer.

"Shit," she muttered under her breath as her ring slipped off into the bowl. "Shit shit shit."

She turned around to see if she could get any help, hopefully without alerting Finn. Suddenly, a young woman with dirty blonde hair who kind of looked like she worked there approached her.

"Hi," she said with a smile that reminded Rachel of someone.

"Hi. Do you work here? I could really use your help. You see I…"

"No, uh actually, I did your flowers."

"You did? I meant to ask my fathers about that. They told me it was too last minute to order flowers for a reception, so you see, I didn't think we'd have decorations. But my flowers are nice. Did my dads order them? Or maybe it was Carol?"

"No, uh we haven't met. I'm Frannie. Frannie Fabray."

"Fabray? As in Quinn's sister? I'm sorry but what…"

She laughed a little. "Quinn told me you'd be shocked. Let me explain. After your argument with her in the bridal shop, she felt pretty guilty. So she gave me a call. I'm a florist in Columbus She asked me to help, said it was an emergency and promised to pay me back by working part time this summer. So that's how you have flowers," she shrugged and smiled a very genuine Fabray smile.

"That explains the gardenias. And the pink ribbons?" whispered Rachel.

"Sorry what?"

"Nothing. But if you're here, then where's Quinn. Did she send you in her place? Because I assure you that is unacc…"

"No. Quinn was supposed to be here. I've been calling her nonstop but nothing. I need her help packing up the flowers later, so maybe she's just stuck in traffic? I honestly don't know."

"Nor do I. I thought she was my bes…my friend. I thought she'd want to be here. But she really didn't support my choice…" she said with a sigh.

"I know Rachel," said Frannie, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Let's get your ring out of this juice bowl," she chuckled "and then we'll see if we can reach Quinn."

"You don't have to help."

"I'm technically working your wedding reception so I technically have to help," she smiled as she rolled up her sleeve.

Rachel couldn't get over how similar Frannie's smile was to Quinn's. It was that same quirky closed mouth smile that turned down just a bit and made Quinn look like she was going to burst with joy. It was Rachel's favorite smile. She loved bringing that smile out of Quinn. Her mind wandered back to two days ago in glee when she'd said "I'm looking forward to being friends with everyone for the rest of my life" but had specifically meant Quinn. And Quinn knew it because there was that gorgeous closed mouth quirky smile.

"Coast clear?" Frannie's question snapped Rachel back to the present.

"Yeah, yeah. Everyone's still arguing about the music."

Just as Frannie managed to fish Rachel's ring out of the bowl, her phone began to ring.

"Here," she said, handing Rachel her ring. "I need to take this call. Go back and enjoy your party."

Rachel turned to walk back towards her friends and family when she realized she hadn't even said two words of thanks to this girl who not only provided her reception with flowers, but also just sacrificed her right sleeve to a bowl of punch.

"Frannie? I know we just met, but after everything you've done today, can I hug you now?"

Frannie turned around with tears in her eyes. Her phone was shaking in her hand. Rachel noticed she was exhibiting the tell tale signs of syncope, well fainting, and immediately stepped to her side.

"Frannie, what is it?"

"Ra…Rachel. I have…to go…it's," she let out a sob. "It's Quinn."


End file.
